Shoe with flexible height adjustment sole and assorted heights interchangeable heels

ABSTRACT

A shoe with a flexible height adjustment sole and assorted heights interchangeable heels in which the flexible height adjustment sole is provided with a metal sole supporting brace that has a thicker mid-portion with thinner more flexible ends one of which is secured to the heel portion of the shoe and the other is secured to the ball portion of the shoe so as to permit a flexing of these two portions as the different heel heights are attached to the shoe. Novel means is also used for releasably securing a heel of a desired height to the sub heel of the shoe.

United States 1 Patent I191 S oleri 1 1 3,797,136 Mar. 19, 1974 sHoE'WITH FLEXIBLE HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT SOLE AND ASSORTED HEIGHTS INTERCHANGEABLE HEELs [76] Inventor: Richard A. Soleri, 675 Hampshire Rd., Apt. 27, Westlake. Calif. 91361 [22] Filed: June 25, 1973 21 Aiapl. No.: 373,123

52 us. c1. 36/42 [51 Int. Cl .;.."A43b"21j/3s 58 Field of Search. 36/3612, 42, 39

[56] References citir v UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,604,826 loll-926' Hornicekuni 36/42 1,895,469 1/1933 Makruzin..-. 36/42 2,125,158 7/1938 Gillis 36/42 X 2,228 468 l/194l Manfredi 36/42 X a FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 27.189 2/1921 Denmark 36/39 10,214 3/1909 France ..36/4Z Primary Examiner-Alfred R. Guest Attorney. Agent, or Erm -William R. Piper sole supporting" brace that has a thicker mid-portion with thinner more flexible ends one of which is secu'red to the heel portion of the shoe and the other is 5 secured to the ball portion of the shoe so as to permit a flexing of these two portions as the different heel heights are attachedto the shoe. Novel means is also used for releasably securing a heel of a desired height to the sub heel of the shoe.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures l1 sHoE WITH FLEXIBLE HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT SOLE AND ASSORTED HEIGHTS INTERCHANGEABLE HEELS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention 3 It is desirable -to provide a pair of shoes with twist-on assorted heels of different heights so that the same pair of shoes can have heels of different heights removably attached to them by a novel, locking means so that the desired heel height will cause the shoes to conform with different types of womens clothes, such as pants or dresses without the necessity of providing a separate pair of shoes for each different heel height. It is also desirable to provide a metal sole supporting brace of novel construction that has a mid-portion thick enough to support the weight of the person wearing the shoe and yet has integral and thinner flexible ends attached to the heel and ball portions of the shoe to permit the flexing of these ends to adjust the sole to the different angles as the different heel heights are attached to the shoe. I I I a 2. Description of the Prior Art The US. Pat. to Jerry Hornicek, No. 1,604,826; issued Oct. 26, 1926, on. a removable heel discloses a shallow heel with a locking plate secured thereto, this plate having tongues designed to be received in cut-out shallow heel by first causingthe tongues on the locking plate to enter the cut-out spaces in the second plate and then the attachable heel can be rotated forpositioning the tongues under the secondpla'te, thereby securing the heel to the shoe. A spring latch on the locking plate has a locking stud which will drop into an opening in the second plate when the attachable heel is rotated into registration with theshallow heel and in this way the attachable heel is locked in place. The outer end of the spring latch forms a finger terminal that projects beyond the inner walls of the shallow heel and the attachable heel and this projecting finger terminal may be manually depressed for freeing the locking stud from the opening in the second plate whereupon the attachable heel maybe removed from the shallow heel.

The present invention differs from the above patent in that the attachable heel carries a spring biased pin which enters an opening in the subvheel of the shoe when the attachable heel is brought into registration with the sub-heel. The pin receiving opening in the subheel extends through the shoe sole so that when it is desired to remove the attachable'heel an elongated member may be inserted in the opening for depressing the pin and freeing it from the opening whereupon the attachable heel may be twisted free from the sub-heel. The spring biased pin'is entirely concealed whereas in the above patent the finger terminal is exposed and can become contaminated with any foreign matter encountered by the person wearing the shoe. Furthermore, the pate ntee shows no metal member for supporting the shoe sole, this metal bracing member having a thicker middle portion and flexible integral end portions that will flex for accommodating the shoe to heels of different heights.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of my invention is to provide a shoe with a detachable heel so that heels of different heights may be attached to the same shoe. The heel attaching means includes a spring biased pin that enters an opening in the sub-heel for securing the heel against accidental removal. The locking pin is not exposed to the elements because the opening in the sub-heel extends through the sole of the shoe and if it isdesired to remove the heel from the sub-heel an elongated member may be inserted into the opening for freeing the pin from the opening and allowing the attachable heel to be twisted free from the sub-heel.

A further object of my invention is to provide a metal sole-supporting brace that is preferably embedded in the shoe sole. The brace has a thicker and less yielding BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the same shoe equipped with a detachable heel of different heights.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the shoe with the detachable heel of the desired height separated from the shoe sub-heel, but ready to be secured to the sub-heel. The shoe sole supporting brace is indicated by dotted lines.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged verticalsection taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 5 of the attachable heel and shows it connected to the sub-heel of the shoe. The sub-heel and a portion of the-shoe sole and the metal solesupporting brace is also shown in section.

FIG. 5 is a view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 4 and illustrates the novel locking mechanism that removably secures the attachable heel to the sub heel.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of the .two parts of the attachable heel securing and locking mechanism, the two parts being separated from each other.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In carrying out my invention, I provide a shoe indicated generally at A in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, and this shoe has a sole 3 and a sub-heel C permanently attached to the shoe sole. I will first describe the metal brace for supporting the sole and then will describe the mechanism for removably securing the attachable heel to the sub-heel.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the metal brace D for supporting the shoe sole and it is preferably embedded in the sole. This bracehas a thicker middle portion 1 and integral thinner and more flexible end portions 2 and 3. The end portion 2 is secured by any means desired to that area of the sole that underlies the ball of the wearersfoot, not shown, while the end portion 3 is secured by any desired means, none being shown, to the heel area of the shoe sole. FIG. 3 shows how the thicker middle portion 1 remains relatively firm and rigid while the thinner end portions 2 and 3 will flex to permit the sole to accommodate itself to attachable heels of different heights. The width and shape of the metal brace D is made to substantially conform to the shape of the shoe sole.

I will now describe how an attachable heel E of a desired height is removably secured to the sub-heel C, see FIGS. 3 to 6, inclusive. The sub-heel has a recess 4 in its under surface with a rim surrounding the recess and a metal disc F is placed in this recess and is secured to the sub-heel C by screws 5 or other suitable fastening means. The disc F has a central opening 6 and the rim of the disc has a plurality of inwardly extending flanges 7 whose inner edges are spaced away from the adjacent surface of the disc. I have shown three of these flanges 7 in FIG. 5, although I do not wish to be confined to any particular number. Also, it is difficult in a drawing to illustrate a side elevation, see FIG. 6, of a disc Fhaving three flanges that are angularly spaced apart 120 from each other. The angled section line 4-4 in FIG. 5 shows how the two adjacent flanges 77 appear to be spaced 180 apart in the sectional view of FIG. 4. The same procedure has been followed in the sideelevational view of the disc F in FIG. 6 for purposes of clar- The attachable heel E has the same side wall shape as the side wall of the sub-heel C, and both are shown cylindrical in shape, although in actual practice both would have an outer wall of the shape resembling the standard heel. At the top of the attachable heel E, I mount a member G that has three radially extending arms 8. The free ends of the arms 8 are bent so as to be spaced from the adjacent top surface of the attachable heel E and to give them spring tension. The member G has a center post 9 that is received in the center opening 6 in the disc F when the attachable heel E has its upper surface brought into contact with the rim of the sub-heel C. The dot-dash line position of the arms 8 in FIG. 5 place the arms in the spaces separating the three inwardly extending flanges 7 and this is the position the arms assume when the attachable heel E is placed against the sub-heel C by the operator with the purpose of removably securing the two together. The attachable heel E is then rotated with respect to the sub-heel and this will swing the arms 8 under the flanges 7 as shown by the full line position of the arms in FIG. 5. The flanges 7 will now frictionally grip tightly the arms 8 and will secure the attachable heel to the sub-heel. It should be noted that the attachable heel E, when secured to the sub-heel C, will cover the recess 4 in the sub-heel and protect the disc F, and the member G from the atmospheric elements and other foreign matter. The spring tension of the arms 8 will aid in causing the attachable heel to make a watertight fit with the sub-heel when attached thereto.

I provide novel means for securing the member G against accidental release from the flanges 7 on the disc F. Reference to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show one of the radially extending arms 80 on the member G provided with a leaf spring H. This leaf spring has its inner end anchored to the member G adjacent to the post 9. The leaf spring then extends through an opening 10 in the arm 8a and the outer end of the leaf spring underlies the outer portion of the arm. A locking pin J is secured to the outer end of the leaf spring and the pin extends through an opening 11 in the arm 80, see FIG. 6. The pin 1 enters an opening 12 in the disc F when the attachable heel E has been applied to the sub-heel C, and is twisted with respect to the sub-heel to move the arms 8 and 8a under the flanges 7 and to bring the pin .I into registration with the disc opening 12, whereupon the yielding force of the leaf spring will move the pin into the opening and prevent any further twisting or rotating of the heel E. The pin J will also enter an opening 13 in the sub-heel C, this opening extending through the adjacent portion of the shoe sole B. The post 9 of the member G enters the center opening 6 in the disc F when the heel E is applied to the sub-heel C and the post will act as an axle during the twisting of the heel E with respect to the sub-heel. I

OPERATION From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof will be readily understood. When the operator wishes to apply a heel E of the desired height to the sub-'heel C, care is taken that the post 9 of the member G enters the central opening 6 in the disc F and also that the arms 8 and 8a of the member G are received in the spaces between the adjacent flanges 7. The leaf'spring II will yieldingly hold the pin J in contact with the adjacent surface of the disc F.

The attachable heel E is held against the sub-heel C and is twisted or rotated with respect to the sub-heel for moving the arms 8 and 8a of the member G under the flanges 7. This rotary movement is continued until the pin .I is brought into registration with the disc opening 12 and then the leaf spring H will move the pin into .the opening and prevent any further rotary movement of the heel E. This will lock the heel E to the sub-heel. Both the disc F and the member G will be protected from the elements. The heels C and E will look like a single heel. The arms 8 and 8a have a leaf-spring tension against the flanges 7 to tightly secure the attachable heel E to the sub-heel C.

When it is desired to remove the attached heel E from the sub-heel C, an elongated member, not shown, is inserted into the opening 13 for depressing the pin J for clearing it from the disc opening 12 whereupon the heel E can be rotated with respect to the sub-heel C for freeing the arms 8 and 8a from the flanges 7, whereupon the heel E is freed from the sub-heel C.

I claim:

1. In combination:

a. a shoe having a sole with a sub-heel and a recess in the undersurface of the sub-heel;

b. an attachable heel;

c. means for removably securing the attachable heel to said sub-heel and including;

d. a disc secured to said sub-heel and being mounted in said recess and having a plurality of inwardly extending flanges angularly spaced from each other, the inner ends of the flanges being spaced from the adjacent face of the disc; 7

e. a member secured to said attachable heel and having a plurality of radially extending arms equal in number to the number of flanges and being initially receivable in the spaces between adjacent flanges when connecting said attachable heel to said subheel; said member having a center post receivable in a center opening in said disc for centering said member with respect to said disc and said attachable heel being rotatable with respect to said sub-heel for moving said arms into binding engagement with said flanges for securing said attachable heel to said sub-heel; and g. a leaf spring carried by one of said arms and carrying a pin which will be received in a stop opening in said disc when the pin registers with the opening thus preventing the accidental rotation of the attachable heel to free it from the'sub-heel;

h. said shoe sole having an opening registering with said stop opening whereby when it is desired to remove said attachable heel from said sub-heel, a member may be inserted into said shoe sole opening for depressing said pin to clear it from said stop opening thus permitting said detachable heel to be rotated with respect to said sub-heel for freeing said arms from said flanges.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in which a. the recess in the undersurface of said sub-heel is surrounded by a rim and the attachable heel when secured to said sub-heel contacts with the rim for entirely enclosing the recess and protecting said disc and said member.

3. The combination as set forthin claim 1: and in which a. the radially extending arms of said member have spring tension for tightly securing said attachable heel to said sub-heel when said arms frictionally contact the flanges of said disc whereby a watertight fit is effected between the two heels. 

1. In combination: a. a shoe having a sole with a sub-heel and a recess in the undersurface of the sub-heel; b. an attachable heel; c. means for removably securing the attachable heel to said subheel and including; d. a disc secured to said sub-heel and being mounted in said recess and having a plurality of inwardly extending flanges angularly spaced from each other, the inner ends of the flanges being spaced from the adjacent face of the disc; e. a member secured to said attachable heel and having a plurality of radially extending arms equal in number to the number of flanges and being initially receivable in the spaces between adjacent flanges when connecting said attachable heel to said sub-heel; f. said member having a center post receivable in a center opening in said disc for centering said member with respect to said disc and said attachable heel being rotatable with respect to said sub-heel for moving said arms into binding engagement with said flanges for securing said attachable heel to said sub-heel; and g. a leaf spring carried by one of said arms and carrying a pin which will be received in a stop opening in said disc when the pin registers with the opening thus preventing the accidental rotation of the attachable heel to free it from the sub-heel; h. said shoe sole having an opening registering with said stop opening whereby when it is desired to remove said attachable heel from said sub-heel, a member may be inserted into said shoe sole opening for depressing said pin to clear it from said stop opening thus permitting said detachable heel to be rotated with respect to said sub-heel for freeing said arms from said flanges.
 2. The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in which a. the recess in the undersurface of said sub-heel is surrounded by a rim and the attachable heel when secured to said sub-heel contacts with the rim for entirely enclosing the recess and protecting said disc and said member.
 3. The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in which a. the radially extending arms of said member have spring tension for tightly securing said attachable heel to said sub-heel when said arms frictionally contact the flanges of said disc whereby a watertight fit is effected between the two heels. 